> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://guides.paynow.gg/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://guides.paynow.gg/getting-started/tax-forms.md).

# Tax Forms

Payout setup asks for your tax information, and withdrawals stay unavailable until payout setup is complete.

*Dashboard → Billing → Payouts → **Setup Payouts**. The full onboarding flow is in* [*Setting Up Your Payout Account*](/getting-started/payout-account.md)*.*

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**PayNow can't advise you on tax.** We're not licensed to, and a wrong answer from us could cost you money or leave you filing incorrectly.

Which form applies to you, how to complete it, and what your tax position is are all questions for a qualified accountant in your country. That includes the ones that sound simple, like whether you count as a US person or which classification your company falls under.
{% endhint %}

## The form isn't ours

**Setup Payouts** opens a form hosted by **Tipalti**, PayNow's payout provider, embedded in the dialog. It looks and behaves like their product because it is: use the buttons inside the panel rather than your browser's back button, and expect their wording on any errors.

If the panel loads blank, an ad blocker or strict tracking protection is usually blocking the embed. Try a private window with extensions off before contacting support.

## Let the questionnaire pick the form

Tipalti's **tax questionnaire**, inside the form step, works out which form you need from the answers you give. Use it rather than picking a form yourself.

It does not save your answers. Close it, navigate away, or let it time out before finishing and you start over from the first question. Set aside a few uninterrupted minutes, with your entity type and tax ID to hand.

If you're shown a form you weren't expecting, the **country or entity details on an earlier step are probably wrong**. Go back and correct those rather than completing a form you don't think applies to you.

## The forms you might see

PayNow uses the standard set. The questionnaire picks whichever fits your answers.

| Form         | Who it's for                                    | What it does                                                   |
| ------------ | ----------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **W-9**      | US persons, whether an individual or a business | Provides your taxpayer details to the US authorities           |
| **W-8BEN**   | Individuals outside the US                      | Certifies you are not a US taxpayer                            |
| **W-8BEN-E** | Businesses outside the US                       | The entity version of the W-8BEN, and the longest of the three |

Which of those is yours depends on your tax residency and how you're set up, which is exactly the part we can't answer for you.

## Why submissions get rejected

These are the mechanical causes, not tax questions. They account for most rejections.

| Cause                                                     | What happens                                                                                                  |
| --------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Name and TIN don't match** what the tax authority holds | Validation fails. The details have to match their records exactly.                                            |
| **Special characters in your legal name**                 | Tipalti strips them to the characters permitted, so adding punctuation to work around a rejection won't help. |
| **A newly issued EIN**                                    | Allow 2 to 3 weeks from issue before it can be validated.                                                     |
| **An address that contradicts the form**                  | For example a US address on a form certifying you are not a US taxpayer.                                      |

If a rejection isn't explained by one of those, it's a question for your accountant rather than for support.

## After you submit

Tipalti validates the form. Simple validation is quick; TIN matching can take longer. Your **payout onboarding status** updates on the [Payouts](/payments-and-payouts/payouts.md) page. Until it clears, sales still accumulate and are **not lost**, but you cannot withdraw. If it's rejected, Tipalti states a reason. Correct it and resubmit by reopening **Setup Payouts**.

Start this before you need the money.

## At year end

US recipients receive a **1099-K** covering the payouts made to their payout account, whether you sell as an individual or through a company. It follows the **account**, not the store, so an account receiving payouts from several stores gets one combined form. See [Account Payouts vs Store Payouts](/payments-and-payouts/account-vs-store-payouts.md).

## Getting help

Anything about your tax position goes to an accountant. If the form won't submit or the panel won't load, that part is ours: email <support@paynow.gg> with your store slug, the step you're on, and the exact error text.

{% hint style="danger" %}
Never share your SSN, ITIN or EIN in Discord, in a screenshot, or in a support ticket. PayNow will never ask for it. It goes into the Tipalti form and nowhere else.
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